Field harvester for row crops

ABSTRACT

A field harvester for row crops, especially stalk crops such as corn, has a stalk-entrainment device formed by a pair of rearwardly converging augers or conveying worms which, at the rear of the entrainment device, are in superposed relationship to deposit stalks upon a conveyer with the butt end of the stalk forwardly. The stalks then move transversely beneath a feed drum to the chopper and blower blades. The cutter consists of a plurality of blades arranged on a disk rotated at the base of the throat of the stalk-guide device.

United States Patent Purrer 1 Dec. 12, 1972 [54] FIELD HARVESTER FOR ROWCROPS 1,121,998 12/1914 Gray ..56/l3.9 [72] Inventor: Josef Pun",Gomnadingen Geb 3,508,387 4/1970 Wright ..56/95 many FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS [731 Ass'gmwi Mas?hinenfabrik 1,578,290 8/1969 France..56/l3.4 madmgen Ggrmany 127,503 8/1960 U.S.S.R. ..56/l 19 [22] Filed:Feb. 10, 1971 P E L G M rimary xaminer ouis ancene [21] Appl 114329Assistant Examiner-J.'A. Oliff Attorney-Karl F. Ross [30] ForeignApplication Priority Data Feb. 12, [970 Germany;....; ..'.....P 20 06232.2 I157] ABSTRACT 1 A field harvester for row crops, especially stalkcrops [52] US. Cl. ..56/13. 9, 56/143, 56/162, such as corn, has astalk-entrainment device formed 56/60, 56/95 1 by a pair .of rearwardlyconverging augers or convey- [Sl] Int. Cl. ..A01d 45/02 ing worms which,at the rear of the entrainment Field of Search ..56/ 13.4, 1 1 device,are in superposed relationship to deposit stalks 60, 1, 9 upon aconveyer with the butt end of the stalk forwardly. The stalks then movetransversely beneath a [56] References Cited feed drum to the chopperand blower blades. The cutter consists of a plurality of blades arrangedon a UNITED STATES PATENTS disk rotated at the base of the throat of thestalk-guide 541,875 device. 2,477,794 1,145,890 11 Claims, 6 DrawingFigures i I Z a a Z 1 H i a PATENTEfinEm I912 3.705.482

" SHEETIUFS Josef PUrrer INVENTOR.

Attorney PATENTED I 3.705.482

sum 2 or 3 Josef PUrrer INVENTOR.

Attorney PAIENTED DEC 12 I972 SHEET 3 [IF 3 Josef Pijrrer INVENTOR.

Attorney 1 FIELD HARVESTER FOR :ROW CROPS FIELD OF THE INVENTION I Mypresent invention relates to field harvesters and, more particularly, toa field harvester for a row crop, especially a stalk crop such as corn.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Forage and field harvesters for thepreparation of comminuted forage from standing crops are, of course,known and available in many types. Present agricultural methods can,however be classified in two main categories, depending upon thelocation at which the crop is comminuted. For example, the preparationof silage from standing crops, e.g.,grasses and stalk crops such ascorn, may require field chopping or chopping of the crop in the regionof the silo or storage bin. In the latter case, the crop is cut andgathered in suitable wagons and delivered tothe silo or storage site atwhich THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of thepresent invention to provide an improved field harvester in which theaforementioned disadvantages can be obviated and which provides improvedresults in the handling of crop materials.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a forageharvester or field chopper for row and stalk a chopper is provided tocomminute the crop material.

The other system-has, however, proved to be. more effcctive for thispurpose.

In the field chopping of forage crops, therefore,.a field harvester maybe provided which comprises a crop-pickup or guide device for liftingpreviously cut crop material from a windrow previously formed or someother collection of. the crop material on the ground, conveyer means forfeeding the crop material to a chopper blade and a chopper and/or blowerarrangement for comminuting the crop material and projecting it througha duct system into a forage wagon disposed behind or alongside theharvester.

It is also a common practice to provide a harvester with cutting meansfor separating the crop material from the ground simultaneously orimmediately prior to entrainment of the crop material into the machine.

A problem arises with row and stalk crops such as corn, which bycontrast with grasses, must be held and guided firmly so that the heavystalks are led with a proper orientation to the cutting blades and donot foul or obstruct operation of the machine. It is not uncommon,therefore, for a row crop or corn head to be provided on such machinesfor the purpose of guiding the stalks to the cutter blade.

In one conventional system, for example, the pickup and guide device orhead has a rearwardly converging throat and a relatively wide mouth, thesides of the pickup head straddling the row of crop material. Areciprocating-blade or sickle-bar cutter is provided at the lowerportion of the forwardmost part of the device, i.e. the mouth of thestalk-guide head and a pair of chains is provided along each side of thehead and, therefore, the row of stalks for entraining the stalks intothe throat of the apparatus after cutting. The chains have inwardlyextending fingers which are interdigitated with the fingers of theopposing chain and the sickle-bar cutter is disposed between thesechains.

This system has, however, the disadvantage that the stalks are notalways fed with the proper orientation to the cutter and to any conveyermeans leading to the cutter or chopper. 'It is not uncommon, forexample, for the'stalk to slip in the space between the chains and to bedeposited upon the conveyer in a skew or reversed orientation.

crop, especially corn, which ensures consistent feed of the stalkscut-end first to the chopper portion of the apparatus.

' It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus for thepurposes described in which the stalkguide means is relatively simple,has sufficient structural integrity to avoid repeated breakdown, and iscapable of guiding and orienting the stalk crop for purposes ofcomminution. I

A further object is to provide a field'harvester of the characterdescribed which is of simple and inexpensive construction and yetfunctions more effectively than earlier devices for similar purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These objects and others which will becomeapparent hereinafter, are attained in accordance with the presentinvention, by providing, in a forage harvester of the type having acutter or chopper (preferably rotatable about a horizontal axisextending generally in the direction of travel of the apparatus) and aconveyer band moving in the direction of the chopper for feeding thestalks into the inlet chamber of the housing leading to this chopper, astalk-orientation and intake arrangement which comprises a pair ofadjacent, rearwardly converging worms, screws or augers which arerotated in opposite senses and are provided with helices or spirals.guiding the stalks into the throat of the intake device.

At the rearward end of the latter, the worms are disposed one above theother so as to deflect the tops of the stalks away from the conveyerband while permitting the cut ends of the stalks to ride upwardlythereon. The worms, of course, are rotated in such sense that theyfacilitate feeding of the stalks onto the conveyer band. Furthermore,the worms rise in the rearward direction while the conveyer band has aportion remote from the chopper reaching substantially beneath the screwor auger arrangement to receive the cut ends of the stalks. Thesuperposed relationship of the rearward ends of the auger automaticallyorients the stalks and facilitates the transverse feed thereof onto theconveyer belt to effect a transfer to the latter with no additionalmechanical parts.

According to a more specific feature of the invention, the depth of theworm increases progressively from the bottom end thereof to the upperend and rearward end so that, at least proximal to the rearward end,

the ribs of the worms overlap or have intersecting paths. When the pathsof the worms intersect in this' manner, it is found that the rate atwhich the cut crop is fed to the chopper, is increased.

The transverse feed rate can be augmented also by providing at leastover the length of the worms at which they are superposed, entrainmentteeth adapted to engage the crop material. Such teeth may be provided inthe form of angularly equispaced blades, each of which has a serrated ortoothed edge, the blades of the two worms being in interleaved oraligned relationship. Facing the intake device, moreover, it has beenfound to be advantageous to provide the right-hand worm such that itsrearmost end overlies the rearmost end of the left-hand worm while theright and left-hand worms are respectively driven in thecounterclockwise and clockwise senses.

According to still another feature of the invention, at the throat ofthe intake device, i.e. inwardly from the mouth thereof, a cuttingarrangement is provided in the form of a blade-carrying disk. Thelatter, having a diameter corresponding approximately to the width ofthe throat, may be oriented for rotation about an axis in a verticalplane but inclined to the horizontal and vertical, preferably at anangle of 45 to the ground. The disk carries a plurality of angularlyequispaced radially extending cutting blades and is rotated in thecounterclockwise sense, as viewed in the direction indicated earlier,when the conveyor means is disposed at the right-hand side of theapparatus. Consequently, the cutter disk promotes movement of the cropmaterial onto and upwardly along the conveyer. More generally, the wormproximal to the conveyer will be located above the other worm at therearward ends of these worms and will be rotated such that the cropmaterial is urged into the gap between the worms.

The cutting disk, moreover, is rotated such that its lower edge moves inthe direction of the conveyer The latter may have its end remote fromthe chopper located at approximately the effective cutting level of theblade disk while its other end lies higher and may reach just below afeed drum capable of crushing the crop material while feeding it intothe chopper. The latter may consist of a blade reel co-operating with achopper bar.

Finally, I prefer to provide the intake device and the conveyer assemblyin a single unit which may be swingable about the axis of, say, theupper roll of the conveyer so that the intake device may be moved out ofthe way or transport of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features andadvantages of the present invention will become more readily apparentfrom the following description, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a field harvester embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic front view, partly broken away;

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section and partly broken away, of theapparatus;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the apparatus in itsposition for road transport;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the apparatus as mounted directly upon thetractor; and

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view showing the apparatus as mounted upon aforage wagon.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION As best seen in FIGS. 1 3, the field chopper of thepresent invention comprises a frame or superstructure 1 which isconnected by a towing frame 2 to a tractor 3. In this embodiment, thetractor 3 has a draw bar 3a to which the hitch 2 is affixed by a pin 3b.The drive shaft 6 is connected to the power-takeoff output shaft of thetractor.

The frame 1 is supported by a pair of ground wheels 4 mounted upon anaxle 4a. A further wheel may be provided at 4b directly upon the intakedevice as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 or the intake device may be simplymounted upon the structure 1 as designed. The power takeoff shaft is, asnoted, connected by the usual universal joints to the shaft 6 which maybe connected in turn by a universal joint 60 to the input shaft 6b. Thelatter is connected by a chain-and-sprocket system 60 to the blade reel8 of the chopper mechanism 5 and by a chain-and-sprocket mechanism 6d tothefeed drum 9. A further chain-and-sprocket arrangement is provided at22 to operate the conveyer 11, the lower shaft or roll 13 of which iscoupled by a shaft 29 and bevel gears 27 with the worm 18. A bevel-geararrangement 23, in turn, connects the shaft 29 with a shaft 24 fromwhich the cutter disk 14 is driven by bevel gears 25. Bevel gears 26from shaft 24 drive the shaft 29 which, in turn, rotates the worm 17.

The chopper arrangement 5, shown diagrammatically in the drawing,comprises a drum 7 upon which the blades 7a (FIG. 2) are removablymounted, the blades co-operating with a counterblade or bar 8 (FIG. 2)to provide shearing action. The chopper portion of the apparatus alsoincludes the feed drum 9 which may be toothed or serrated to crush thecomminuted crop material. In the usual manner, downstream of the chopperportion 5, is a guide scroll 10 for projecting the comminuted cropmaterial into a forage wagon directly behind or laterally offset fromthe chopper.

Structurally united with the intake device, via a support structurepartly shown at 11a, (FIG. 2) is the transverse conveyer 11 whose upperroll 12 is disposed just below the feed drum 9 and whose lower roll 13is located adjacent to cutting disk 14 (FIG. 2). The conveyer 11 isformed with teeth, slats, ribs or like projections facilitatingentrainment of the crop material to the chopper.

The cutting device 14, which is located at the rearwardmost portion ofthe throat of the intake device, comprises a disk 15 which is formedalong its outer periphery with angularly equispaced radially projectingblades 16. The axis of rotation of the disk 15 is inclined forwardly andincludes with the ground surface and angle of approximately 45.

Ahead of the cutting device 14 in the direction of movement of theforage harvester, and projecting forwardly of the transverse conveyer11, are two conveyer worms or augers l7 and 18 which run generally inthe longitudinal direction but are inclined rearwardly and upwardly andconverge in the rearward direction. The tips of the worms l7 and 18 arerotatably joumaled in the housing 19 of the intake device which has asupporting frame 20 provided with the aforementioned bar 11a and alsocarries a cutting device 14 and the transverse conveyer 11. Both wormsl7 and 18 run from the housing 19 convergingly rearwardly and upwardlyand have their rearmost ends also joumaled in frame 20. However, the endof worm 18 is spaced vertically above the end of worm 17 as is best seenin FIG. 3. At this portion of the worms, both are provided withangularly equispaced radially projecting entraining blades 21 which areserrated or toothed along their outer edge and extent along axial planesof the respective worms. The blades 21 of the two worms interfit butnevertheless leave a gap through which the crop material can be fed tothe chopper. The worm helices 17' and-18 are of progressively increasingheight in the rearward direction and preferably have intersecting oroverlapping paths at the upper ends of the worms. I

As noted earlier, the conveyer 11 is driven" by a chain-and-sprocketarrangement from the feed drum 9 while the lower roll 13 of theconveyer'belt 11 is connected by a bevel-gear arrangement 23 with thetransverse shaft 24 joumaled in the frame 20. A further bevel gear driveconnects the transverse shaft 24 with the shaft of disk whilethebevel-gear system 26 of the transverse shaft drives the longitudinallyextending shaft 27 running toward the tip of the womi 17. The bevel-geararrangement 28 in housing 19 connects the worm 17 with the shaft 27.Similarly, the worm 18 is connected with the longitudinal shaft 29 whichconstitutes an extension of the lower roll 13 of the conveyer. As willbe apparent from FIG. 2, the lower portion of the disk 14 moves in thedirection of arrow A, i.e. toward the conveyer l1 and in the direction(arrow B) of movement thereof. The underside of the feed drum 9 movescodirectionally with the upper stretch of the conveyer ll (i.e. in thecounterclockwise direction representedby arrow C) while the chopper reel5 is rotated in the counterclockwise sense (arrow D). The upper worm 18is driven in the counterclockwise sense (arrow B) to conduct the stalksbetween the worms, and the worm 17, of course, is rotated in theopposite or clockwise sense, as represented by arrow F. As illustratedin FIG. 4, arrow G, the entire assembly of the worms l7, conveyer theconveyor 11 and the cutting device 14 may be swung upwardly to positionthe system for rod transport.

In operation, the field harvester is positioned so that the mouth of theintake device, defined by the housing tips or shoes 19, straddles theroll of corn and the har vester is driven forwardly. The worms l7 and 18conduct the stacks toward the rear or throat of the intake device andgradually swing the tops of the stacks to the left as seen in FIG. 2,while the blades 16 cut the stalks and deposit the cut ends upon theconveyer 11. The conveyer 11 carries the stalks into the chopper 5 fromwhich the comminuted material is propelled via the scroll 10 into theforage wagon.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the harvester 100, otherwise identical tothat described in connection with FIGS. 1 4, can be mounted at theconnecting points 101, 102 and 103 of a three point hitch 104 of thetractor 105. The device may also be built onto the front end 200 of aforage wagon 201 and may be provided with an internal-combustion engine202 for operation independent of the tractor. The engine may be coupledwith the wheels 203 of the forage wagon, thereby constituting of thedevice a self-propelling vehicle.

I claim:

1. A field harvester, comprising:

a support for traversing a field having a row crop in a longitudinaldirection of movement of the support;

a chopper on said support for receiving crop material to be chopped in adirection horizontally transverse to said longitudinal direction acrop-intake device mounted on said support and having a pair oflongitudinally extending adjacent conveyer worms having linear axes ofrotation converging rearwardly with respect to the direction of advanceof the harvester, said worms having forward lower ends at the same levelspaced apart transversely of said longitudinal direction to provide aproximal worm having its lower end closer to the chopper than the lowerend of the other relatively distal worm, said proximal worm having arearward upper end vertically overlying the rearward upper end of thedistal worm for guiding a stalk crop longitudinally into said device andlaterally feeding said stalk crop to said chopper; and

conveyer means between said chopper and said device for displacing theguided stalk crop in said transverse direction to said chopper.

2. The field harvester defined in claim 1 wherein each of said worms hasa helix intersecting the path of the helix of the other worm at therearward ends of said worms.

3. The field harvester defined in claim 2 wherein said worms are eachprovided with co-operating entrainment means at their rearward ends forengagement with said crop and advancing toward said chopper.

4. The field harvester defined in claim 3 wherein said worms are rotatedin opposite senses to feed said crop between them to said chopper.

5. The field harvester defined in claim 4, further comprising cuttingmeans disposed at the rearward end of said device close to the groundfor severing the stalks of said crop from said ground, the cutting meanscomprising a disk rotatable about an axis lying in a vertical plane andprovided with an array of radial blades.

6. The field harvester defined in claim 5 wherein said axis includes anangle of about 45 with the ground surface.

7. The field harvester defined in claim 5 wherein said conveyer meansincludes an endless conveyer having a first roll proximal to saidchopper and a second roll proximal to said cutting means for conveyingthe crop from said device to said chopper, said disk being rotated inthe direction of said conveyer for carrying said crop onto the latter. v

8. The field harvester defined in claim 7 wherein said entrainment'meansincludes a plurality of equispaced serrated blades formed on saidrearward ends of said worms, said blades extending along axial planes ofthe respective worms, said rearward ends being located above the forwardends of said worms.

9. The field harvester defined in claim 7 wherein said support isprovided with a pair of wheels and means enabling said support to betowed by said tractor.

10. The field harvester defined in claim 7, further comprising means formounting said support upon a three-point hitch of a tractor.

11. The field harvester defined in claim 7, further comprising a foragewagon, said support being mounted directly upon said forage wagon.

1. A field harvester, comprising: a support for traversing a fieldhaving a row crop in a longitudinal direction of movement of thesupport; a chopper on said support for receiving crop material to bechopped in a direction horizontally transverse to said longitudinaldirection a crop-intake device mounted on said support and having a pairof longitudinally extending adjacent conveyer worms having linear axesof rotation converging rearwardly with respect to the direction ofadvance of the harvester, said worms having forward lower ends at thesame level spaced apart transversely of said longitudinal direction toprovide a proximal worm having its lower end closer to the chopper thanthe lower end of the other relatively distal worm, said proximal wormhaving a rearward upper end vertically overlying the rearward upper endof the distal worm for guiding a stalk crop longitudinally into saiddevice and laterally feeding said stalk crop to said chopper; andconveyer means between said chopper and said device for displacing theguided stalk crop in said transverse direction to said chopper.
 2. Thefield harvester defined in claim 1 wherein each of said worms has ahelix intersecting the path of the helix of the other worm at therearward ends of said worms.
 3. The field harvester defined in claim 2wherein said worms are each provided with co-operating entrainment meansat their rearward ends for engagement with said crop and advancingtoward said chopper.
 4. The field harvester defined in claim 3 whereinsaid worms are rotated in opposite senses to feed said crop between themto said chopper.
 5. The field harvester defined in claim 4, furthercomprising cutting means disposed at the rearward end of said deviceclose to the ground for severing the stalks of said crop from saidground, the cutting means comprising a disk rotatable about an axislying in a vertical plane and provided with an array of radial blades.6. The field harvester defined in claim 5 wherein said axis includes anangle of about 45* with the ground surface.
 7. The field harvesterdefined in claim 5 wherein said conveyer means includes an endlessconveyer having a first roll proximal to said chopper and a second rollproximal to said cutting means for conveying the crop from said deviceto said chopper, said disk being rotated in the dIrection of saidconveyer for carrying said crop onto the latter.
 8. The field harvesterdefined in claim 7 wherein said entrainment means includes a pluralityof equispaced serrated blades formed on said rearward ends of saidworms, said blades extending along axial planes of the respective worms,said rearward ends being located above the forward ends of said worms.9. The field harvester defined in claim 7 wherein said support isprovided with a pair of wheels and means enabling said support to betowed by said tractor.
 10. The field harvester defined in claim 7,further comprising means for mounting said support upon a three-pointhitch of a tractor.
 11. The field harvester defined in claim 7, furthercomprising a forage wagon, said support being mounted directly upon saidforage wagon.